Wednesday, December 22, 2010

D.C. Wire - Gray to name education deputy mayor

Gray to name education deputy mayor

By Nikita R. Stewart

Mayor-elect Vincent C. Gray will continue to name nominees to his Cabinet on Wednesday, but interim schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson will not be one of them.

Gray will announce his picks for deputy mayor for education, state superintendent and director of the Department of Employment Services, according to sources within Gray's transition.

Despite reports that Gray will name Henderson to lead D.C. public schools on a permanent basis, Henderson will attend Gray's news conference to show support for the education team, said Doxie McCoy, Gray's spokeswoman. Allen Sessoms, president of the University of the District of Columbia, will also be on hand at the event at the Reeves Center.

During his successful campaign against Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Gray

Collective Bargaining Battleground: Illinois - State EdWatch - Education Week

Collective Bargaining Battleground: Illinois

By Sean Cavanagh on December 22, 2010 1:01 PM | No comments |

Looking for signs of the momentum building behind efforts to make sweeping changes to teacher pay and job protections? Look no further than Illinois, a state with a strong union tradition, where lawmakers are nonetheless considering a sweeping proposal this session that would base tenure upon performance, make it easier to fire ineffective teachers, and make it more difficult for teachers to strike.

A bipartisan special legislative committee recently staged two days of hearings on a measure dubbed the Performance Counts Act, which lawmakers are likely to consider during the upcoming session.

The proposals would require that hiring for new and vacant positions be based on performance, not seniority, make it easier to fire teachers who aren't doing the job, and base tenure decisions on merit. But most controversially, it would create a series of steps that would create a longer and more difficult process for teachers to strike, as I read a draft of the measure.

I spoke with the co-chair of the legislative committee, Republican Roger Eddy,

Change is coming to California - Jim Boren - fresnobee.com

Change is coming to California

You won't find anyone in the political establishment arguing that California's current system of governing is working. Yet every reasonable reform aimed at improving governance in the Golden State is challenged by some special interest.

It seems like gridlock is working for some people or they wouldn't be trying so hard to keep the status quo. There are a couple of recent examples.

Everyone knew that California's redistricting system was rigged to keep incumbents in office. But when voters finally took redistricting from the politicians and gave it to an independent citizens commission, lawmakers tried to block the change with a misleading ballot measure.

And when the voters decided in June that the primary election system needed changing, the open-primary solution was quickly attacked in court.

Clearly, there are people inside California's dysfunctional government making a nice living out of not getting things done.

But the momentum right now seems to be with the reformers, despite the best efforts of

That’s the Way the Money Goes? « Failing Schools

That’s the Way the Money Goes?

DECEMBER 22, 2010

by mariasallee

All around the mulberry bush,

the monkey chased the weasel;

The monkey thought ’twas all in fun,

Pop! Goes the weasel.

In the face of major changes coming up for six of Denver’s Far Northeast schools there is much debate about “what is best” for the community, for the children in the schools, and for their parents. There has also been a little talk about what will happen to the displaced employees,

Seeing Through The Eyes of Children, FDR’s Dream

by admin

I found this speech researching a novel I am writing about the effects on children of the Great Depression. It was given in 1939, at the White House Conference on Children and Youth. It was delivered as part of the fourth such conference, the first taking place in 1909, the last in 1971. Interestingly, the last conference, which was convened by President Nixon, ended in a Colorado blizzard, which necessitated the mobilization of army troops to supply the attendees with supplies. Thirty two years earlier, Franklin Roosevelt spoke the words I have excerpted below. Though spoken towards the end of the Great Depression, they express concerns that, as

Brownback will allow $200 million drop in K-12 funding next year - Topeka K-12 | Examiner.com

Brownback will allow $200 million drop in K-12 funding next year

December 22nd, 2010 9:00 am CT

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Governor-elect Sam Brownback, working in his transitional office in Topeka, stated that he does not intend to replace $200 million in federal stimulus dollars that are set to expire. "I don't see how we can do a lot of augmentation really anywhere", Brownback said, referencing K-12 finance. School districts were cautioned earlier this yearthat such cuts were likely under a Brownback administration.

Currently, public schools are receiving about $200 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This allowed the state to direct $200 million in state revenues into other areas of the budget. It appears that Brownback does not intend to return that state funding back to K-12

Former Educator Releases Ground-Breaking New Book That Reveals Flaws in K-12 Textbooks -- CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

Former Educator Releases Ground-Breaking New Book That Reveals Flaws in K-12 Textbooks

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Educator and science editor David Rudel is getting to the root of what is lacking in the modern school learning environment.

Rudel's new, highly anticipated Volume 1 of "Science Myths Unmasked: Exposing Misconceptions and Counterfeits Forged by Bad Science Books," just released on Amazon, examines the myths found in "reliable" school textbooks, pointing out misconceptions perpetuated in these books -- which are often the foundation of the school learning environment.

"Teachers and students have a reasonable expectation that the state-adopted textbooks are dependable tools they can rely on for accurate accounts of scientific explanations, theories and facts -- yet closer examination has shown that this is decidedly not the case," Rudel said.

In addition to informative discussions of common errors in today's textbooks, Volume 1 critiques the attitude of textbook publishers in its introduction.

"The problem is that publishers, in their zeal to hammer home lesson objectives, are willing to make untrue claims and present counterfeit accounts," said Rudel. "Myths hamper comprehension of the key ideas they are intended to demystify, and further

Boston Teachers Union Reluctant On New Salary Proposal | WBUR

Boston Teachers Union Reluctant On New Salary Proposal

By BOB OAKES
Dec 22, 2010, 10:47 AM UPDATED 12:29 PM
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A new proposal from the Massachusetts Teachers Association to link teacher assessments to student test scores is already running into controversy in Boston.

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson is pushing the MTA to agree to use student MCAS scores to help evaluate teacher effectiveness.

However, speaking with Morning Edition’s Bob Oakes, Boston Teachers Union President Richard Stutman expressed reluctance.

“We have been negotiating this concept and we’ve rejected much of what the school department has offered,” Stutman said. “The school department’s plan is not as fully flushed out as the MTA plan, and

Pa. education aide urges probe of Ackerman contract award | Philadelphia Daily News | 12/22/2010

Pa. education aide urges probe of Ackerman contract award

By DAFNEY TALES
Philadelphia Daily News

talesd@phillynews.com 215-854-5084

Acting Education Secretary Thomas Gluck wants the state auditor general to investigate Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's decision to award a minority-owned firm a $7.5 million emergency contract to install security cameras in 19 schools after district officials failed to provide information he requested.

The district was given nearly two weeks to explain how Mount Airy-based IBS Communication got the job, how the district cancels contracts and how the project was funded.

In his letter to the Bureau of School Audits sent yesterday, Gluck said the district's report failed to show how the project was considered an "emergency."

"These unexplained items in the District's report suggest that this matter should be examined more closely, and in a way that is beyond the resources of the Department of Education," he said.

District spokeswoman Shana Kemp declined to comment, citing an ongoing internal investigation.

Could Seth Walsh's Middle School Have Prevented His Suicide? | Education | Change.org

Could Seth Walsh's Middle School Have Prevented His Suicide?

by Shannon Cuttle

California students are still fighting bullying and harassment, despite a 2003 law that mandated bullying protections and guidelines for all schools in the state. Activists, parents and students are stepping up to make schools safer -- but tragedies are still happening, and now the federal government is stepping in.

Federal education officials announced on Tuesday that their civil rights division is investigating Tehachapi Unified School District in the death of Seth Walsh.

Seth Walsh was a 13-year-old student at Jacbosen Middle School who hung himself in his backyard on

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Last Word

Last Word

Here’s Joel Klein’s final memo to principals in New York City (pdf). Looks back and forward, brings in T.S. Eliot, waves the bloody shirt on the ongoing ATR problem, and discusses turnarounds/restarts and layoffs. If you follow education in New York City, it’s a must-read.

Blame the bad students (and parents) — Joanne Jacobs

Blame the bad students (and parents)

by Joanne

Public schools are failing because they’re overwhelmed with too many anti-social students from dysfunctional families, writes Victor Davis Hanson in his 2011 Politically-Incorrect Resolutions on Pajamas Media.

I went to largely Hispanic and impoverished elementary schools from 1959-67. The teachers, by today’s standards, were probably insensitive and unduly harsh. . . . In September and May the non-air-conditioned rooms were often over 90 degrees. I can remember our second grade class was 44, with 5 folding chairs that we rotated in and out of, given the absence of desks. Instruction was mostly by rote . . .
And yet there was almost no violence on campus – and no counselors, psychologists, or teacher aides. Students from dire poverty arrived clean, polite, and ready to study. Parents came to school night classes to learn English and meet with teachers. Back to school night was packed. . . . A student’s detention was considered a family catastrophe.

With well-behaved, ready-to-learn students, the public schools worked, Hanson writes. Today’s families are

The DREAM Shall Never Die | California Progress Report

The DREAM Shall Never Die

by megan

By Mario Lopez

Headlines claiming that Republicans blocked the DREAM Act this weekend give the party more credit than it deserves. Yes, Republicans overwhelmingly opposed the legislation from the get-go, but a handful of Democratic Senators are equally guilty of slamming the door shut on my dreams-and on so many others as well. We must hold them equally accountable.

The DREAM Act would have paved the way for thousands of undocumented students brought to the U.S. to become our future doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, and lawyers by creating a path towards earned citizenship. I would have benefited from this.

How Refreshing, Honest, and Courageous It Would Be for Policymakers and Funders To Say Oops! | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

How Refreshing, Honest, and Courageous It Would Be for Policymakers and Funders To Say Oops!

by larrycuban

1 person liked this

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and top policymakers have promoted and funded small urban high schools for nearly a decade. Then Bill Gates said in his 2009 Annual Letter that while these small urban high schools had accomplished much for students they had largely failed to improve academic achievement. No more big bucks for this initiative. No other foundation executives or federal/state officials, all of whom had tripped over themselves in hailing small urban high schools, said Oops!

Ditto for charter schools. Policy elites across both political parties for the past decade have promoted charter schools to offer urban parents and their children choices they would not have in district regular schools. A recent 15-state study concluded that, indeed, 17 percent of charters offered “superior educational opportunities for their students.” Nearly half of the charters, however, differed little from regular public school “options,” and here is the kicker: 37 percent of the charters “deliver learning results that are significantly worse than their students would

Diane Ravitch To Receive Moynihan Prize - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Diane Ravitch To Receive Moynihan Prize

By Mary-Ellen Phelps Deily on December 22, 2010 10:42 AM | No comments |

We've just learned that Diane Ravitch will receive the 2011 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize from the American Academy of Political and Social Science. To quote from the Academy's website: the prize was created to "recognize social scientists and other leaders in the public arena who champion the use of informed judgment to advance the public good." Diane is being honored for her work in urban education, both as a researcher and a public official. Congratulations, Diane!

Reminder: Bridging Differences returns Jan. 4, 2011.

Competing stories on size of impending deficit | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Competing stories on size of impending deficit

by Paul Socolar

Mayor Michael Nutter and Superintendent Arlene Ackerman held a telephone press conference Tuesday evening to acknowledge a $234 million hole in next year's District budget resulting from the loss of federal stimulus dollars, while rebutting reports of a much larger expected deficit as - in Ackerman's words - "purely speculative."

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Mayor and superintendent dismiss Inquirer report as "speculative"

Notes from the news, Dec. 22

by Erika Owens

notes from the news image Phila. schools facing big budget shortfall The Inquirer
Mayor Nutter and Superintendent Ackerman held a phone press conference Tuesday evening where they discussed the District budget shortfall next year, which will be at least $234 million because stimulus funding ends.

Promise Academy teaching staffs include many who are new, inexperienced The Notebook blog
Across all Promise Academies nearly 43 percent of teachers are in their first year with the District and nearly 75 percent are new to their school.

Lawmaker asks for state audit of Philly School District The Inquirer
State Rep. McGeehan has asked the state auditor general to look into the District's procurement practices.

High school debate final teaches valuable lessons Philadelphia Tribune
This week's Learning Key describes an After School Activities Partnership debate club, profiles the senior of the month, provides tips from PhillyGoes2College, and more.

See also: Masterman student named senior of the month Philadelphia Tribune
College tips – paying for college Philadelphia Tribune
Get writings, artwork published Philadelphia Tribune

Despite setback, immigrant rights groups continue to DREAM Voice of Philadelphia

Video: Need a Holiday Fruit Basket? Stop By Saul High School Roxborough-Manayunk Patch

Philadelphia High School for girl presenta concierto navideño Al Día

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Rise & Shine: Newark went door-to-door for reform suggestions | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Newark went door-to-door for reform suggestions

by Philissa Cramer

Newark asked every household what to do with Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million schools gift. (WSJ)
The EPA’s plan to screen city schools for toxins doesn’t have the city’s approval. (Times)
The city is snatching up sites for schools where development has stalled in the recession. (Times)
Restructuring struggling schools only works when better teachers are brought in. (L.A. Times)
Making changes to the city’s juvenile justice system won’t be easy. (WNYC)
Page 6’s Cindy Adams predicts a one-day teachers’ strike in 2011. (Post)

Frameworks Include Pre-K and Common Core Standards «

Frameworks Include Pre-K and Common Core Standards

December 22, 2010 by Irene Sege

Photo: Michele McDonald for Strategies for Children

It’s official. Massachusetts has new curriculum frameworks that include pre-kindergarten and incorporate the Common Core State Standards approved in July. The final step came yesterday, when the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the pre-k standards as part of broader frameworks in English language arts and mathematics. Last week, the Board of Early Education and Care (EEC) approved the aligned pre-kindergarten standards.

As I noted in a blog post last month, the pre-k standards are intended for children attending programs the year before they enter kindergarten. The final standards have not yet been posted online, but they contain only minor

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